Nursing Schools in Hawaii

Guide to Hawaii Nursing Degree Programs

If being a nurse sounds a good career for you, then you can start applying at any of the Hawaii nursing schools. The paradise islands are an excellent place to begin your nursing career. On top of the local population, there are literally millions of tourists who flock to Hawaii every year and, one time or another, many of them would need some form of medical attention. Working as a nurse in Hawaii will also expose you to topnotch hospitals like the Wahiawa General Hospital, which provides the best healthcare services for residents along the North Shore and Central Oahu. Meanwhile, the Castle Medical Center is the prime healthcare facility for residents along the Windward side of Hawaii. New nurses are needed in these two and other hospitals in the islands.

Apart from the open job opportunities that greet the graduates of Hawaii nursing schools, nurses are also supported by a various nursing associations and communities. These groups are working to ensure that nurses have safe and healthy work environment. The Hawaii Nurses’ Association pushes for the preservation of the integrity and core values of nursing as a profession. It represents around 10,000 registered nurses in Hawaii. Meanwhile, the Wahiawa Hospital Association directly assists community high school graduates who want to take up nursing in college. Scholarship programs like this help students bear the costs of studying nursing in college.

Hawaii Nursing Job Outlook and Salary

Even if there are good Hawaii nursing schools and nursing associations that help nursing professionals and students alike, there is still a shortage in the number of nurses in the islands. Just like in other areas in the US, the average age of nurses in Hawaii is getting older and few new nurses can fill in the resulting gap. Add to that the ever growing number of locals who are also aging and would need medical care within the next few years. The shortage of nurses in Hawaii can easily turn into a crisis. But for nursing graduates, this can mean better opportunities.

Graduates of Hawaii nursing schools and nurses in general can expect high salaries in an effort being put on by medical service providers to get and retain nurses in the workforce. In short, nurses are increasingly becoming a commodity in Hawaii hospitals and service providers are willing to pay more for nurses. The median hourly rate for nurses in Hawaii is around $32.00 or about $61,600 per year. There are also other perks like signing bonuses and loan repayment funds exclusively for nurses.